Newer homes are constructed and furnished much differently than in the past. They burn up to 8 times faster, The heat intensity of a fire causes an entire room to be engulfed in flames (called the flashover) can now occur in less than 5 minutes after a fire starts. It used to take up to 30 minutes. You have far less time to react, Firefighters responding need to get there quicker as well. Today’s building materials consist of many more man-made materials. They are less expensive but they also frequently contain highly flammable petroleum products which burn much more quickly. Many of the furnishings of your home today are made of synthetics with plastic or foam which burn as quickly as gasoline and produce a thick toxic smoke. Larger homes hold more contents adding to the fuel load. Windows which limit the amount of oxygen available to feed the fire have thinner pains, that fail is less than 5 minutes. Older windows typically failed after 14 minutes. Our best recommendation is to be sure to install smoke and carbon monoxide detectors especially near the sleeping areas. You may only have a few minutes to escape. You also should consider heat sensors in areas where fires frequently occur, the kitchen, garage, laundry room and areas with electrical and heating systems, we hope you take these suggestions to heart. We want you around for many years to be able to pay for your insurance!